194. You've Lived Hard
Berge wasted no time upon hearing about the potential of the buoyancy ship. He immediately began preparations.
He halted construction on the harbor and gathered all the dwarves, issuing his orders.
"So, you're telling us to plant bombs in the ocean?"
"Exactly. Lay underwater bombs all around the tower."
No matter how impressive the buoyancy ship was, anyone trying to reach the tower would have to dive and navigate through the sea.
But what if the waters were crawling with mana bombs? They could deliver a devastating blow before the enemy even arrived.
"Underwater bombs? We've never even dreamed of something like that."
"We don't have the technology for it."
The dwarves' homeland was the mountains themselves. Even if the buoyancy ship could slice through the waves and submerge, it was designed first and foremost as a flying strategic weapon.
Underwater bombs were an uncharted territory for them—something they'd never built before.
"It doesn't seem that hard, though."
"If we just waterproof it properly... It's mana-based anyway, so we can trigger it with mana or magic points..."
Of course, that didn't mean they couldn't do it.
"Perfect. And can you make the mana cannons bigger? Ideally powerful enough to shatter a massive warship."
They didn't need to ask why.
"That's possible too, but..."
It would demand more time, effort, materials, and expertise—but it wasn't impossible.
"Then make them. Picture it: underwater bombs rocking the buoyancy ship, followed by a thunderous barrage smashing it to pieces."
"Ooh, yeah... that does sound..."
The Demon King soon vanished, leaving the dwarves deep in thought.
"...It's cool and all, but is helping with this really right?"
"We're supposed to smash our kingdom's sacred treasure?"
"The Demon King promised he wouldn't touch Berft Kingdom."
"He said he wouldn't let it slide if they attacked first."
"And this would be attacking first, right?"
"Yep."
"Ugh, this is driving me nuts."
They were cooperating to survive, but patriotism ran deep. Was it truly right to kill their own kin and destroy their kingdom's treasure just to save themselves?
That was when Roger appeared.
"Think of it differently."
"Differently?"
"If you help His Majesty destroy the buoyancy ship and stop the heroes, he'll keep his promise. Berft loses its treasure and some kin, but it survives."
But if not?
"He might just smash Berft Kingdom first."
"...No way."
"Don't forget—he once dropped hundreds of monsters on Jespain Empire on a whim."
"......"
The dwarves felt a chill run down their spines.
"And above all..."
Roger raised both hands dramatically.
"If we destroy the buoyancy ship, we become legends."
"Legends as traitors who betrayed our nation?"
"No, that's not what I mean."
Undeterred by the dwarves' sarcasm, Roger pressed on with his pitch.
"Think about it. When the buoyancy ship is destroyed, wreckage will remain, right?"
"Sure. Our glorious dwarven relic reduced to mere debris."
"And the flotation stones will drop out."
"...Huh?"
"What will you do with the massive quantity of flotation stones that powered the buoyancy ship? I still remember my ambition: to outfit the entire tower with mana cannons and launch it into the sky as a Sky Tower."
"......!"
The dwarves' eyes glazed over with dreams.
"Forget the tower fragments His Majesty promised as a reward. If we can float the tower in the heavens, we'll etch our names in history."
Dwarves were as obsessed with honor as they were stubborn craftsmen.
The glory of crafting something unprecedented. The fame of forging a weapon for the ages.
That was part of what drove them.
"Centuries ago, our ancestors who built the buoyancy ship earned their place in history. How about you? You're no less skilled—superior, even. Yet all you've done is maintain or tweak it. That's not enough for immortality! But!"
Roger bellowed.
"What if it's a Sky Tower?!"
"Sky!"
"Tower!"
The dwarves roared in unison.
"Who cares if we're traitors? We built a Sky Tower no one else could!"
"Rebels? A craftsman speaks through his creations!"
"When our tower soars through the skies, raining hellfire on the earth as an impregnable fortress no one can breach—what will the continent call it?"
A masterpiece for the ages.
A legend unparalleled.
"You'll be villains in the histories, sure. But the Sky Tower you built will endure forever, a legend retold for generations."
Still.
"Won't do it?"
Roger extended his hand.
"And most importantly..."
At that point, Roger tossed them a psychological safety net.
"Didn't Princess Luize tell you to do your utmost for His Majesty?"
"Right! She did!"
"Yeah, I'm just following the princess's orders."
"Exactly!"
The dwarves descended into fervent madness.
Roger's eyes met Berge's from afar, where he watched.
'Don't forget the reward you promised!'
He mouthed silently. Berge nodded.
* * *
"Impressive. So that's how you manipulated the dwarves."
Berge shrugged at Reina's question.
"Stirring up shut-in runts who've spent their lives in workshops is child's play."
He'd deliberately sent Roger. A fellow dwarf and craftsman would be far more persuasive than him doing it directly.
And it had yielded exactly the results he wanted.
"...Floating the tower in the sky. This lady never even imagined such a thing."
"That's 'cause you're the textbook demon—stuck in your ways."
"That tongue of yours will freeze solid someday, and maybe then you'll wise up."
"Oh no, scary. This crude demon doesn't get it."
"No, it's because you're missing a horn and a tail—your ears don't work right."
"What? What do ears and tails have to do with it? You clung to me just to make excuses for your minions!"
"It's not an excuse—it's fact. And this lady didn't whine and throw tantrums like you did."
"Tantrums? Me? You barely scraped by in a fight inside your own tower, and you're talking big?!"
"This lady barely won. You didn't even manage that."
"I'm a Demon King too!"
"Demon Kings have ranks."
"Grr...!"
The succubus queen and frost demon snarled at each other.
Berge sighed at the scene, now an everyday occurrence. He'd never expected the two Demon Kings to cooperate seamlessly or become friends—they'd end up as bickering rivals every time they met.
To be precise, Vivian kept picking fights and getting shut down.
"Precisely because the Demon King Academy never taught it. No more squabbles—I won't tolerate it."
Berge put an end to it.
"We can't float the tower before they arrive anyway. We need to smash the buoyancy ship to get the flotation stones."
Like it or not, they'd have to face them in the sea.
"What if we head further north?"
"North?"
"The North Sea is full of drifting icebergs. Ships can't navigate freely, and the cold bolsters us frost demons. My minions could greet them from outside while you handle them from the tower."
Not a bad plan. The cold was poison to humans, so gaining any edge was wise.
The problem was.
"Luize."
"Yeah?"
"What's the buoyancy ship's power source and top speed?"
"Mana stones. I hear it can hit nearly 300 km/h."
"The tower's much slower. We'd probably get caught mid-flight, unprepared."
On a map, the North Sea's ice fields looked close, but in reality, they were far.
"Too bad."
Then Gordon quietly raised his hand.
"Do we really need to worry?"
"What do you mean?"
"Back then, with no minions and an empty tower, we pulled every trick. Now? I honestly don't think we'd lose to anyone."
He was right.
The Lust Demon King and her minions.
The Frost Demon King and hers.
The elves.
The dwarves.
And four princesses to boot.
Thousands of monsters, swarms of beasts, hordes of demons.
Not to mention the traps the dwarves had rigged everywhere and the mana cannons overflowing from every corner.
It was a force no hero could challenge.
No need to play weak and scurry about.
"...Me."
I've really lived hard.
A fresh wave of emotion hit him. This power surpassed even his pre-regression peak. Especially with two Demon Kings and their elite demons at his side.
Back when that damned hero mocked him, he returned with that rage, botched the graduation ceremony, descended with just Gordon—and it had felt hopeless.
"What was that?"
"Got some dark past?"
"Are you alright?"
"Your Majesty?"
The Demon King and princesses asked in turn.
"Tears?"
A small hand patted his shoulder. He turned to see Ravinia offering a white handkerchief.
"Not crying."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Put the handkerchief away."
Anyway.
Berge lightened the mood.
"You're right. No need for elaborate setups."
"One variable: Balaf Disrod."
"If we fight inside the tower, I win for sure. Leave the other Stars to you."
Reina, Kaede, and Ravinia nodded.
"Cher, dragon. Star."
"You think you can handle a Star? Modifications done?"
"Mostly?"
"Exciting."
A titan with dragon scales and horns grafted onto the succubus queen's tail. It'd be weirder if it wasn't strong.
Ravinia might expose herself, but since they were going all-out anyway, who cared.
"Why're you quiet?"
"Huh? Me too? I'm not confident in fighting."
Vivian averted her eyes.
"Gotta push those horns back as far as possible."
"Nooo! I'll do my best! I'll fight! You already had me tell the dwarves to build the harbor and underwater bombs—my horns have no compression deadline now!"
Vivian sniffled. Elena bowed her head.
"Sorry. I'm not at Star level yet..."
"No, you're fine. You're doing great. Just give it your all."
Elena already bore four engravings. Lacking compared to Stars, sure—but no one could deny her meteoric growth.
And with dragon blood consumed, her fifth engraving was imminent. Wings on a sprinting pace.
"Still, better minimize casualties. We'll trap floors 1 through 5 completely."
Might as well pause the harbor. Plenty already built—they could deploy and tune them quickly.
"And the final battle on floor 6."
"...You? Not meeting them at the summit?"
"Everyone gathers at the top and fights."
"......"
"Fighting floor by floor is like tossing food to fatten them up. They come full strength—why spread ours thin across the tower?"
"That's the canon."
"Then ditch it. My order as your lord."
Reina's smooth brow furrowed, but she sighed and smoothed it.
"Fine. This lady is your minion now. I'll obey."
But she added one barb.
"At this point, I'm starting to suspect you're the Dragon Demon King."
"That's why. A dragon made the canon—so another dragon breaks it."
"Sophistry."
"Better sophistry than mindlessly taking losses. You, who cherishes her minions, should get that."
"......"
"Now, one thing left to plan."
"What?"
"How do we claim that buoyancy ship."
A Sky Tower soaring through the heavens.
The dwarves' desire had infected Berge too.
"Blast it with the giant mana cannons until it crashes—then it can't move again?"
He envisioned the tower flying high, bombarding the continent below.
< 194. You've Lived Hard > End